Danny Phantom: Only Human
by SharonMckellie
Summary: Takes place if the ending of Ultimate Enemy actually happened; Jack, Maddie, Jazz, Sam, Tucker, and Mr. Lancer all die in the explosion and Clockwork doesn't save them. Danny has to cope with what happened while trying not to cause the future chain of events. *With help from Cadence Hopkins
1. Ch 1: Loss

**Ch 1: Loss**

_**I don't own Danny Phantom. All copyright goes to the original owners. This is just intended for entertainment purposes only.**_

The ultimate evil was finally contained in the thermos. Danny looked and saw that his loved ones were still clung to the Nasty Burger in ecto-restraints. He quickly stood up and ran to them trying to change into his ghostly ego.

"I can't go ghost," he said with worry.

In one last "no," coming from his mouth, Danny threw himself on the ground only to watch his family, friends, and teacher go up in smoke. The blast threw him about ten feet. He landed on the concrete with a loud crack against his ribs. When he slowly tried to stand up, he was sure they were broken. After the smoke cleared, nothing was left standing. Not even the bodies of his loved ones. Danny woke up with a start. The moments of yesterday haunted his memory.

He looked around the hospital room unaware of who brought him here, until Vlad showed up at the door. Danny would have been angry with him if not for his physical and psychological bruises. The sound of his father's babbling on about ghosts, his mother's scent, and his sister's nagging but incredible ideas rang out through his mind. He didn't know who to live without them, perhaps being dead would ease his pain. However, what's the point when your half ghost. He then thought what if he was all ghost. What if he left his human half of emotions and pain behind? Would he be free? But then again that horrible future was still there buried in his mind. What was he to do? No friends, no family, no love.

Countless days passed. School was different. Not even Paulina fazed him, and Dash's taunting never got to him. Alas, the "witty banter" was gone. It suddenly wasn't funny anymore. Wasn't worth it. But what was?


	2. Ch 2: Rampage

**Ch 2: Rampage**

**_This chapter is longer than the previous one. BTW, let me know what you think, and if you find mistakes._**

Danny came home from school that evening still more depressed than ever. Now living with Vlad, I guess you could call it home, but still Danny was unhappy and nothing seemed to clear him up.

"Daniel…you're home," Vlad said with a smile.

Danny glanced in Vlad's direction, but said nothing and went upstairs to his "room." Vlad had a room prepared for Danny just after the accident. It was the same room Danny had slept in when he visited for his Dad's college reunion so long ago. Danny had tried to make the room feel like home by adding NASA posters, but more importantly a photo album of his friends and family. Every day he would look at it, and every day it would become wet with his tears. Today, however, Danny laid down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. What could he do to end this pain? Suddenly, he got an idea. He changed into his ghost form and headed for Vlad's ghost portal.

After flying through the rooms of the mansion, he finally reached the portal. As he flew into the ghost zone, his ribs started to ache. The tragedy that now affected his life happened just a few days ago, but his ribs were still bruised. Despite his pain and worries, Danny kept flying straight. Finally, he reached his destination: Clockwork's. The gears and cogs of various clocks ticked away. However, Danny felt as though his life was ticking away.

"Clockwork," Danny yelled.

Just as he was about to leave, a small boy appeared to him. It was none other than Clockwork. Danny had forgotten that Clockwork constantly shifted through time and his appearance would change as well.

"I knew that you would come," he said changing from his small boy form to another form.

"I don't understand. Even though I swore I would never turn evil, my friends and family still paid the price."

Clockwork turned from Danny. He always seemed so mysterious and eerie. After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Things happen. Times change. And people die every day," he said.

"So…all of it was a waste. Fighting to protect the ones I loved was a waste!"

"I realize that you are angry and that you are hurting but-"

"But nothing!" Danny interrupted. "Why couldn't you just help me? Why couldn't I save them! Maybe I would be better off being a normal teenager!"

"Like I said: times change," Clockwork said.

This time Danny was furious. He quickly started blasting all the clocks, gears, and cogs around him. The ghost rays from his hands were bright green this time, and Danny didn't care. He was so angry that the one ghost who usually had all the answers couldn't supply him with the reasons his loved ones were now gone. Suddenly, Danny forgot where he was and the blasting continued.

"Danny, stop!" Clockwork yelled, trying to control the ghost-powered teen.

As quick as the rampage began, it finally stopped. Danny, exhausted from blasting and ribs still aching, turned to face Clockwork.

"Do you really want all this rage to develop into this," Clockwork said ushering to the portal showing the supposed 10 years of Danny's evil self destroying Amity Park.

"Was this my destiny? To become him," Danny said, tears falling from his cheeks.

"Everyone makes their own destiny," Clockwork said, his appearance changing again.

And with that Danny fled from Clockwork.


	3. Ch 3: Emotions

**Ch 3: Emotions**

As he was flying through the ghost zone, Danny's thoughts of Sam filled his head. He never had gotten the chance to tell her how he really felt about her. The truth is…he loved her. He had a crush on her the very first time they met. Due to the newfound tragedy, there were a lot of things he never got to tell his friends, family, and even Mr. Lancer. While lost in the thoughts of his own pain, Danny's ghost sense started going off like crazy. This, however, made sense due to the fact that he was in the ghost zone. He looked around and saw Skulker, Ember, Spectra, Jonny 13, Kitty, Walker, and all the collection of ghosts that he had seen and fought before.

"What do you guys want?" Danny said his eyes puffy from holding back tears.

"We heard about what happened," Poindexter said sadly. "It's terrible."

Danny looked at the ghosts that lay before him. Why should they take pity on him?

"We know what it's like…going through pain," Spectra said eerily.

"What do you guys know about it," Danny said.

Ember was the first to answer this question.

"When I was alive, my heart was broken. It was hard to bear," Ember said without any hint of sadness. "However, I was able to free myself from heartache by death," she said.

Danny was confused. Why in the world would ghosts be happy to die?

"You see ghost boy…humans are complicated creatures. They are able to feel many emotions at the same time. Ghosts, on the other hand, can only feel one emotion at a time. Which is why you make for such a special prize," Skulker said.

"Human emotions are such a delicate state. As a ghost, you are able to let go of some of that attachment and feeling," Spectra said.

Danny thought about what the ghosts were telling him, and he realized that they were right. There were too many times in his life, where his emotions were like a roller coaster ride. He honestly thought about getting rid of his human side. Still, the thoughts of that leading to a horrible future kept creeping into his mind. Getting rid of his human side would be…suicide.

"We can't imagine experiencing something as horrific as that and still be…alive," Poindexter said.

Danny wiped his tears away. There was no way he was going to let his enemies see him cry. As of now, though, they seemed to be his friends. Without another word, Danny flew out of the ghost portal and ended up back at Vlad's mansion. He quickly turned back to normal and raced upstairs to find Vlad.

"Vlad? Vlad!" Danny called.

"What is it my boy," Vlad said to him. "Is something wrong?"

"No, but I need to ask you something."

"Of course, my boy, anything," Vlad responded.

Danny knew it was going to be a shock to Vlad when he asked him this question, but he stated the question anyway.

"Can you get rid of my human self?"


	4. Ch 4: Reasons

**Ch 4: Reasons**

Vlad looked up at Danny. His face was long and sad. However, he still was firm and classy in his air of mannerisms.

"Daniel…why on Earth would you want to get rid of your human self," Vlad said walking closer to Danny.

Danny had no idea how to respond. The memories of pain and grief that he felt since the accident still tortured him.

"I talked to the ghosts in the ghost zone and they said that ghosts are able to let go of some of attachment and feeling. Maybe if I become _all ghost _then my heart wouldn't hurt this bad," Danny said his eyes glistening with tears.

Vlad put his hands on Danny's shoulders.

"Listen to me Danny. Let me tell you about my human side," Vlad said as he walked over to a picture of Maddie that lay sitting on a table.

"My human side is the only thing that keeps me grounded. It allows me to feel love…love for my Maddie. It grounds me from crossing that line. The line that separates bad from evil," Vlad said eyeing the picture he held so close to his heart. "The only emotion that my ghost-half feels is revenge. Revenge for your father, which as of now I don't feel anymore."

Somehow Danny understood. His human side was more about emotion attached to his friends, family, and righteousness. While his ghost side was about ghost-fighting, bravery, strength, and power. Despite the bad qualities that Danny possessed such as laziness, low self-esteem, and over-confidence, he understood the good qualities of himself.

"So you see son, there are reasons why you shouldn't give up your ghost-half. Those ghosts have lost touch with their human side which in a way is rather sad. Feelings of love, taste, and touch are not a part of the paranormal world."

Vlad finally sat the picture of Maddie down and walked over to Danny again.

"Let me show you something," Vlad said as he started pulling Danny downstairs to the lab again.

As they walked down the stairs, Danny looked up at Vlad. His archenemy was no longer evil in Danny's eyes.


	5. Ch 5: Thoughts

**Ch 5: Thoughts**

Vlad and Danny reached the lab. As Danny looked around, he wondered what it was that Vlad wanted to show him. Suddenly a manila folder was tossed in front of him. Scrolled across it were the words, "CONFIDENTIAL." Danny opened the folder and saw information ALL about him. Danny's flaws, and weaknesses were written down on paper in Vlad's writing along with photos.

"This is the information I collected when I desperately tried to clone you," Vlad said. "Danny, do you know why the perfect clone of you failed?"

Danny shook his head. He was going to say, "because Dani and I destroyed all the clones," but he thought against it.

"It's because it needed your DNA between ghost and human. Don't you see Daniel? Your human self stabilizes you as it does me. Without our human emotions tying us down, we would cause chaos."

Danny looked through the photos that Vlad had collected. He suddenly came across a photo of him, Tucker, and Sam. "We look so happy," Danny thought.

"I wish I were dead," Danny whispered to himself.

"What did you say," Vlad asked in disbelief.

"I said I wish I were dead! Don't you see Vlad! I can't be happy without the ones I love! I never will be! You don't understand! The only way I can ever see them again is-"

"Is what…Danny," Vlad said.

"Is if I kill myself!"

Danny then threw the manila folder onto the ground, and ran upstairs. Vlad called after him, but Danny didn't care. He changed into his ghost form, went intangible, and flew to the top of the mansion. There, he sat and watched the sun go down with each passing minute. While staring off into space, he thought long and hard. The grief had suddenly hit home. Danny held his head low. Tiny tears started to leak out of his eyes, but then the tiny ones turned into huge droplets. He sobbed as each tear hit the insignia on his ghost outfit.

"I have to do it," Danny said to himself. And with that, Danny flew. He flew as far as his ghost powers would let him until he found the spot he had been searching for. The tall tower of Fenton Works shined brightly up at him. As he looked down he saw that guys in white had surrounded the home. They had bought Fenton Works after his parents' deaths. Danny flew to the top of Fenton Works and changed back to normal. Luckily, there were no guys in white on the roof. "Those idiots wouldn't think to find me up here."

Then Danny looked down below. He eyed the concrete that lay below him. He started to move closer and closer to the edge. With the thought of his loved ones swirling in his brain, he jumped.

**_Don't freak out guys! This isn't the end of Danny! There's more to come!_**


	6. Ch 6: Words

**Ch 6: Words**

As Danny felt himself falling, he quickly changed back into his ghost form and flew off before he hit the ground. Then, he continued flying.

"I just can't do it," he said.

Then, he continued flying. There was no way he was going to stick around at Fenton Works. His home, to him, seemed like the center of emotional pain. Danny kept on flying. He didn't know where he was going and he didn't care. The only people that he cared about were gone.

While thinking of his home, Danny suddenly thought about Jazz. He never got to tell her about his ghost powers. Jazz, of course, already knew this, but Danny didn't know. The only thing he knew was that she was the best sister in the world, and he felt like he let her down. With his ghostly abilities, he promised to himself that he would never let anything happened to his friends and family, but that promise was broken. Danny was so confused. He had seen what his future could become, and yet it turned out bad in the end anyway. However, he still didn't cheat on the SAT. In fact, he never got to tell Mr. Lancer about having the test answers. He returned them to the principal and only got detention for two days. He figured she felt sorry for him due to the loss of his loved ones.

With the past events still echoing in his brain, Danny kept on flying until he crashed into a billboard. Danny looked up at it as it read:

**Vlad Masters for Mayor**

The thoughts of his loved ones finally ceased. He thought about Vlad, and how he for once thought he had a heart. After all, Vlad took him in after the accident.

"I should go back to him," Danny said to himself.

He began flying and flying. His eyes grew tired as he reached Vlad's estate. Instead of knocking on the door, Danny flew straight up to his bedroom. Then with a flash of white, Danny changed back to normal and fell asleep on the bed.

Dreams of course entered his subconscious. Sam appeared to him in a purple and black dress. In fact, it was the same one she wore to the dance. Danny took her hand in his.

"Danny, you could never find the words could you," she asked.

"What words," Danny responded.

"The words of I love you."

Danny frowned. He never got to tell her. Suddenly, dream Sam started to fade away.

"Sam!" Danny yelled after her.

"Why didn't you save us," Tucker said appearing behind him.

"I couldn't."

Danny suddenly became surrounded by Tucker, Sam, his parents, and even Mr. Lancer.

"You could have saved us," Mr. Lancer said.

"You could have saved us," Jazz said.

"You could have saved us," Jack and Maddie said in unison.

After telling them over and over again that he was sorry, Danny woke up.


	7. Ch 7: Grief

**Ch 7: Grief**

The series of nightmares that Danny was having began to gradually cease. Every morning before breakfast, Vlad would look at him with concern, but Danny would always tell him,

"I'm fine Vlad. Really…I am."

Vlad would always shake his head. He knew Danny right down to his very soul. So he knew when something was bothering him.

School was somehow different. Sam and Tucker were Danny's only friends, and Mr. Lancer (even though Danny hated to admit it) was his favorite teacher. So, what classmate do you turn to? During lunch period, Danny mostly sat alone until that day when Valerie sat down next to him.

"Danny…I need to tell you something," she said.

Danny stopped picking at his food and stared gloomily up at her.

"This isn't going to be easy to talk about because it's about Sam."

Suddenly, Danny's emotions perked up. The constant dreams of Sam rattled his brain. His gloomy expression turned into a look of complete attention.

"When the ghost king came, Sam and I talked a lot about…you," she said.

"Oh? Ha…ha," Danny said with his fake laugh. "What about me?"

"She liked you. You know that don't you," Valerie said.

Danny stopped and thought about his feelings for Sam. Sure he liked her, but he could never figure out if he truly loved her until it was too late.

"It always seemed like everyone knew that she loved you except for you."

Danny appreciated that fact that Valerie was trying to cheer him up. However, she was making him feel guiltier than anything.

"Valerie I-"

"And you liked her too. You still do."

Valerie stood up with her tray as the lunch bell rang.

"See ya around Fenton," Valerie said.

Even though lunch was now over, Danny just sat there looking down at his tray. He felt a little better though. He now knew all along that Sam loved him. He just wished he could have returned his feelings.


	8. Ch 8: Happier

**Ch 8: Happier**

**_This is the last chapter. I kind of forgot where I was going with the story line. With school starting again soon, updates would be slow. So without further ado, I present the last chapter. Thanks for sticking with this story. Let me know what you think._**

Danny woke up that morning, and had noticed that Vlad was not cooking breakfast. It was a little unusual considering he always made breakfast in the morning. Danny walked down to the lab, and there he found Vlad constructing a machine. It was filled with wires, and the "ghost gauntlets" were on one of the laboratory tables.

"What are you doing," Danny asked.

"Getting rid of your human self," Vlad answered.

Suddenly, Danny realized that if he let Vlad do this, his horrible future outcome may come true.

"Vlad, stop!"

Danny raced toward Vlad and quickly unplugged the machine.

"What's the matter Daniel," he said.

"The other day you asked-"

"If you could get rid of my human self," Danny interrupted.

Vlad looked down at Danny, and patted his head.

"All I wanted was to make your pain go away," Vlad said.

Danny looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

"Nothing can make the pain go away. It will always be there, but in time I will be happier."

Vlad didn't know how to respond to Danny's mature response. Finally he spoke.

"You're right. Besides, the world still needs you…Danny Phantom."

Danny wiped his tears away, and went upstairs to collect his things for school. As soon as he got ready he hugged Vlad. It was weird now viewing him as a father figure. Danny then opened the front door and went outside. There stood Valerie.

"Hey Fenton," she said waving to him.

Danny smiled but didn't wave back.

"Look, I know how it's been hard for you these last few weeks but-"

Danny hugged her. He still had one friend and soon he knew he would make many more.

"Uh- want to walk to school with me," Valerie asked with shock.

Danny nodded. While they were walking, Danny looked into the sky and thought, "I'm gonna see you guys again one day, and my pain will end." Sam, Tucker, Mr. Lancer, and his mom and dad flashed before his eyes. He knew he would see them again in a much better place.


End file.
